Newgrange: Monument to Immortality - publication date October 25th

Many people who visit the ancient and magnificent Newgrange monument in the Boyne Valley are driven by some deep longing to connect with their most distant roots. The giant 5,000-year-old megalithic construction evokes awe and wonderment, and often a sense of melancholy for the community of people who created it from stone and earth in the remote past, a people now lost to time.

The cover of the new book

For the past three centuries, archaeologists, antiquarians, and researchers have been probing Newgrange in the hope of revealing something about its purpose, and something about the mysterious people of the New Stone Age who created giant structures using primitive technology. In this fascinating book, Anthony Murphy shows that Newgrange is not only a uniquely special place, but that its construction was carried out not by a grizzly mob of grunting barbarians, but rather by an advanced agrarian community who had developed keen skills in the sciences of astronomy, engineering and architecture.

Newgrange: Monument to Immortality goes deep into the mind and soul of our neolithic ancestors to better understand what led them to build this remarkable monument. In a deeply moving, poetic and philosophical exploration, Murphy looks beyond the archaeology and the astronomy to reveal a much more profound and sacred vision of a sophisticated people who were driven to create this marvellous testament to their time.

The book has gone to the printer and, all going well, should be available to purchase in late October. To pre-order your copy, visit The Liffey Press website.

Monasterboice crosses and round tower at night

Muiredach's Cross at night with the round tower in the background.
The three stars above the tower are the handle of the Plough.

Muiredach's Cross just after dusk.

The Western Cross with an illuminated round tower.

Monasterboice Round Tower and High Crosses - pictures

Muiredach's Cross, Monasterboice, probably Ireland's
most famous High Cross.

Is there anyone home? The steps up to the round tower
at Monasterboice, Co. Louth, Ireland

The Western Cross and Round Tower

A second view of the Western Cross and Round Tower

A close-up of the Western Cross

Western 

New photos of Newgrange and Dowth

Newgrange in the evening sunset glow. Taken September 8th, 2012.

I thought I would share a couple of recently taken photos from the Boyne Valley. Above is Newgrange taken about 20 minutes before sunset. Below is Dowth, which is the anglicised version of its Irish name, Dubhadh. According to the legend of Dowth, which is about a total eclipse of the sun, darkness fell on the men of Erin when they were making the mound. They abandoned the task, and the king said the place would forever more be known as 'Dubhadh - Darkness'. I think the photo captures that mood nicely.

Dowth - Darkness - in silhouette with the full moon.